Torquay teenager Kate Cattanach, 15, died when the ute she was a passenger in crashed into a pole at Penshurst about 1.30pm on Sunday.

The unregistered ute was being driven by a Penshurst teenager on a dirt road. 

The driver was flown to the Royal Children's Hospital with back and neck injuries. She remains in hospital in a stable condition.

Both teenagers attended Monivae College in Hamilton, where Ms Cattanach was a boarder in year 10.

In a statement, principal Mark McGinnity said Kate was a much-loved member of the school community. 

"Our thoughts and prayers are very much with Kate's family and friends at this very sad time," Mr McGinnity said. "May she rest in peace." 

Students at the religious college gathered to pray for the pair on Monday morning.

A billboard sign outside the school read "Kate we will love you forever", while a small shrine with flowers and candles was set up on school grounds.

Mr McGinnity said counselling and support services were being offered to students.

Detectives from the major collision investigation unit are investigating the crash. 

EARLIER: The 15-year-old girl who died in Sunday’s car crash at Penshurst has been described as a ‘much loved’ student of Hamilton’s Monivae College. 

The girl, from Torquay, was a passenger in an unregistered vehicle which hit a powerpole on a dirt road about 1.30pm.

She was a friend of the 15-year-old driver and had been staying over the weekend. 

The teenagers both attended Hamilton's Monivae College. 

College principal Mark McGinnity described the accident as “very tragic and regrettable”. 

“The college is doing all that it can to support the families of those involved, and also our students here at the school,” he said.

“We lost a much loved member of our year 10 class and boarding community.”

A police media spokesperson said the ute was travelling south along Mackichan Lane when it lost control and struck a pole on the west side of the road.

The spokesperson said the driver was a 15-year-old girl from Penshurst.

She was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne on Sunday with head and back injuries. 

The girl’s injuries were described as non-life threatening.

The death took the road toll to 123, up from 105 at the same time last year.

It was the eighth road death in the south-west this year and comes just three days after a Portland driver was killed when his car lost control and crashed into a fence near Mount Richmond.